Airplane



April 10, 1945. F. F. FRAKES 2,373,467

AIRPLANE Filed May 10, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 10, 1945. F; F. FRAKES AIRPLANE Filed May 10, 1943' 5 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR.

April 10,1945. F, F. FRAKES AIRPLANE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' Filed May 10, 1943 13' fmzzkea IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 10, 1945 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE:

AIRPLANE Frank F. Frakes, Columbia, 'l'enn. Application May 10, 1943, Serial No. 486,372

6 Claims.

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby an automobile may be coupled up with an airplane, to serve as the fuselage therefor, the essential parts of the airplane being manipulated from within the automobile, and it being possible to separate the automobile from the airplane and use the automobile as a land vehicle, novel means being provided for effecting an operative connection between the movable controlling parts of thewithin the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in front elevation, a device constructed in accordance'with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the means whereby the airplane may be raised and lowered with respect to the automobile;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan showing the structure on the automobile whereby the airplane may beraised and lowered; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, showing the controls for the steering mechanism of the airplane and for the ailerons;

Fig. 6' is a horizontal section showing the throttle plunger and attendant parts;

Fig. '7 is a vertical section taken through the housing or conduit which contains certain of the detachable connecting parts;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the controls;

Fig. 9 is an elevation showing a part of the mechanism whereby the section of the conduit are held together;

. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of the conduit which contains certain of the working parts,

Y parts being broken away;

Fig. 11 is a composite view showing theparts of the conduit separated;

Fig. 12 is a cross section on the line |2 |2 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section taken through the portion of the device which contains the detachably interengageable latches.

In the drawings, there is shown an airplane comprising wings I, the ailerons being shown at 2. The numeral 3 designates a rudder, mounted at 4 for swinging movement on a vertical axis,

supposing that the wings i are horizontal. The airplane is powered by any desired number of,

engines 5, operating propellers 8.

Depending hangers i are provided, and are spaced apart longitudinally of theairplane, the hangers being connected at their upper ends to the wings I, and each hanger comprising a straight, lower, intermediate portion 8. The

straight portions 8 of the hangers 1 are connected by any desired number of braces 9, one of which is shown in Fig. 3.

Upstanding keepers ID, in the form of blocks,

' are secured to the straight portions 8 of the hangers 1, at the braces 9, if desired, the keepers having bluntly conical upper ends ll. Con-.

. nectors l2, in the form of rings, are secured to the tapered upper ends H of the keepers l0.

The numeral l4 designates an automobile, including a frame it and a body It carried by the frame. The floor of the automobile body is marked by the numeral. I! in Fig. 5, the foot board appearing at it, and being connected to a cross piece i9, carrying an instrument board 20, all as usual. I

The side portions of the frame 15 carry tapered sockets 2|, as shown in Fig. 3. The sockets 2| are adapted to receive the tapered upper ends ii of the keepers III on the straight portions 8 of the hangers I of the airplane. V

It appears in Figs. 4 and 3 that, intermediate their ends, the side portions of the auto frame It carry upwardly extended intermediate brackets 22, wherein a driven, transverse shaft 23 is mounted to rotate. By means of a worm and ,pinion drive N, or other suitable instrumentality,

the transverse shaft 23 is operatively connected to a driving shaft 25, connected operatively with the engine (not shown) of the automobile l4.

, Drums 28 are secured to the shaft 23, 'andabout the drums are wound, in one direction, flexible elements 21.

tions of theautomobile frame It. Flexible, ele' ments 30 are wound in a direction opposite to. that of the flexible elements 21, about thedrums 2,6, the flexible elements 30 extending rearwardlyi and downwardly about pulleys 3| f ourrra upstanding brackets 32, carried-by the si' The flexible elements 21 extend forwardly and downwardly, about pulleys 28,1 journaled on brackets 29, carried by the s'id'epOl -Q frame I5, and disposed to the rear of the brackets 22. The depending ends of the flexible elements 21 and 38 are supplied with hooks 33, adapted to be engaged in the rings l2 ongthe upper ends ll of the keepers l8.

Suppose that the automobile |4.is free of th airplane, the straight portions 8 of the hangers I of the airplane resting on the ground. Under such conditions, the automobile 14 may be driven about, as a land vehicle, and independently of the airplane.

When it is desired to assemble the airplane with the automobile, the automobile is driven through the hangers 1, the straight portions 8 of the.

hangers then being underneath the frame of .the automobile.

The shaft of Fig. 4 is putinto operation by the engine (not shown) .of the automobile i4. The worm and pinion drive 24 actuates the shaft 23 and the drums 25. The flexible elements 21 and 38. are wound about .the drums, and since those flexible elements are connected releasably, by means of the hooks 33 and the eyes or rings i2 on the tapered ends ll of the keepers l2 on the straight portions 8 of the hangers 1, the airplane will be lifted until the tapered ends ii of the keepers l8 are seated firmly in the sockets 2| on the framework i5 of the automobile.

The mechanism for holding the parts assembled, as last hereinbefore described, will now be set forth.

The keepers l8 have transverse seats or openings 34, adapted to receive forward and rear locking bolts- 35, slidably mounted on the lower portions-of the frame l5 and in the sockets 2|. The forward ends of the bolts 35 receive forward and rear cross rods 88, adapted to move transversely in slots 31, formed in the side portions of the vehicle frame I.

A forward shaft 38 is provided, and the numeral 38 designates a rear shaft, these shafts An inwardly inclined socket 48 is formed onthe side wall of the body l8 of the automobile. The

being mounted to rock in upstanding bearings 48 on the sides of the frame ii. The shaft 38 carries depending arms 4|, which are slotted longitu'dinally as at 42, to receive the forward cross rod 38. The rear shaft 38 has depending arms 43, which are slotted toreceive the rear cross rod 85.

The shafts 35-and 38 are supplied, each, with a depending arm 45, and to the lower portions of the arms, the ends of a rigid connecting rod 48 are pivoted. An operating handle 41 is secured to the forward shaft 38, near one end thereof, as disclosed in Figs. 4 and 3.

By means of the handle 41, rocking movement may be imparted to the shaft 38,.and corresponding movement is imparted to the shaft 38, by means of the crank arms and rod 48 which is joined to them. When the rod 45 is actuated, the

arms 4| and 43 slide the bolts 35 into the seats 34 in the parts ll of the keepers l8, and, thus, the tapered ends ii of the keepers are held in the sockets 2| on the vehicle frame i5, the vehicle thus being coupled to the airplane. By a reverse movement of the lever 41, the bolts 35 may be withdrawn from engagement with the parts I of the keepers iii, the airplane being lowered, to bring the straight portions 8 of the hangers I into contact with the ground, and, then, the vehicle may be driven away, the hooks 33 of Fig. 3 having been detached from the rings or connections l2.

It is contemplated that the airplane shall be operated from within the automobile M, and means to that end will now be specified.

' lever 85 of the first order, fulcrumed at 88 on lower member 48 of an upwardly and laterally inclined conduit 58 is secured in the socket 45 and may be secured to a portion of the framework l5 of the automobile. The conduit 58 includes an upper member-5|, which is pivoted at 52.to ears 58 on the wings, for movement transversely of the line of advance of the airplane. There is an opening 54 in the wings I, immediately above the upper end of the upper member 5| of the conduit 58, as Fig. 10 shows.

. Noting Fig. '11, the upper member 5| of the conduit 58 is cut away to form a longitudinal projection 55, the lower member 48 of the conduit being cut away to form a transversely mating longitudinal projection 55. The upper member 5| of the conduit 58 is supplied near its lower end with a laterally projecting ear 51, having a hole 58. The car 51 is adapted to be extended through an opening 58 in the socket 48.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 9, a guide 58 is mounted on the socket 48, and in the guide, a

latch bolt 5| is mounted for reciprocation. The

outer end of the latch bolt 8| is pivoted at 52 to a lever 88, fulcrumed at 84 on a support carried by the side wall of the car body i8.

Wlthin the lower member 48 of the conduit 58 is secured a guide 88, a guide 51 being secured in the upper member 5] of the conduit. The guides 88 and 81 are cut away to conform to the projections 58 and 55 of the conduit members 48 and 5|. A latch 18 is mounted to slide longitudinally in th guide 88 of the lower conduit member 48, and. a latch 12 is similarly mounted in the guide 81 of the upper member of the conduit. The latches 18 and 1.2 have transverse, interfltting teeth 13. I

When the upper member 5| of the conduit (Fig. 11) is swung into engagement with the lower member 48 thereof, the teeth 13 will interlock, and, thus, latches 18 and 12 will be connected for longitudinal movement as one piece. The bolt 5| of Fig. 9 is advanced by the lever 83 into the hole 58 of the ear 51, to hold the conduit members 48 and 5| in axial alinement at their meeting ends.

A bell crank lever 14 is fulcrumed at 15 in the conduit part 48. The upper end of a link 18 is pivoted to the latch 18. the lower end of the link being pivoted to one arm of the bell crank lever 14. The other arm of the bell crank lever 14 is pivoted to a connection 11, in the form of a rod, the connection 11 being pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 1.8, fulcrumed at 18 on the instrument board 28 of the automobile l4. The

bell crank lever 18 is actuated by a throttle plunger 88, mounted'to reciprocate-in the instrument board 28, as shown in Fig. 6.

The lower end of a connecting rod 8| is pivoted to the latch 12, the upper end of the connecting rod being pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 82, located and fulcrumed, as shown at 83,

within the airplane wings I.

The pivot element that joins the connecting rod 8| to one arm of the bell crank lever 82, joins, thereto, pivotally, the inner end ofa connecting rod 84, the outer end of which is pivoted to' a the wing. To the lower end of the lever 85 is pivoted a rod or the like 81, which is a throttle rod for one of the engines} of the airplane.

The other arm of the bell crank lever 82 is pivoted to a rod 88 or the like, having 'its outer end pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 88, fulcrumed on the wing, a connecting rod 88 beplication being thepedals 9|,

ing pivoted to the other arm of the bell crank lever 80, the rod being a throttle rod for the other of the engines of the airplane.

It will now be noted that the engines Bof the airplane may be throttled by a train of parts comprising plunger 80 of Fig. 6, the bell crank lever I8, the connection 11, the bell crank lever I0, the link 16, the interengaged latches I0 and 12, the connection 8|, the bell crank lever 82, and the connecting rods 84 and 88. together with bell crank lever 89 and the rod 90, and the lever 85 and the connection 81. Thus, the engines 5 of the airplane are throttled from the plunger or its equivalent, shown in Fig. 8.

One of the usual pedals of the automobile is marked by the numeral 9| in Fig. 5 and is pivotally mounted on the foot board I0, as shown at 92. A forwardly presented arm 93 is connected to each of the pedals, 9|, to move therewith. The foot board I0 carries forwardly extended projections 04, whereon pulleys 95 are joumaled. /Pulleys 06 are mounted to rotate on the instrument board and pulleys I I0 are mounted in'the lower part 00 of the conduit member 50. Flexible elements 91 have their lower ends connected to the arms 90 which move with the pedals 0|. The

flexible elements 01 are extended around the pulleys 95, 96 and H0, and backwardly over one pair of pulleys III on the airplane, to a cross arm I0I on the rudder 3. In view of the foregoing, the rudder 3 may be operated by a train of parts including the pedals 9|, the flexible elements 01, and the cross arm I01, thesource of force ap- Latches 99 and I00 are interposed in the flexible elements 91., these latches corresponding to the latches I2 and I0 of Fig. 11, and being toothed for releasable interengagement, after the manner shown at 13 in Fig. 11.

The steering column of the automobile is indicated by the numeral I03, and in it is journaled a steering shaft IOI, carrying a steering wheel I02, which is tiltably mounted at 202. Fixed to the lower end of the steering shaft MI is a cross arm I00. The lower ends of flexible elements I05 are connected to the ends of the cross arm I04 and are extended upwardly and backwardl over guide pulleys 96. H0 and I06 to the ailerons 2. The tiltable steering wheel I02 is connected to flexible elements 200 connected to elevators 20I at the tail of the aircraft. The controls for the airplane are conventional, and Fig. 8 and the corresponding description ar introduced merely to make it plain to pilots and others that the device forming the subject matter of this application does not call for a specially constructed airare so located relatively to each other (Fig. 11) that they will intermesh and connect the latches when the conduit part I5! is swung to the right in that fig re.

The operation of the device has been set forth hereinbefore, step by step, but, briefly, is as folows:

Theairplane is lifted by the flexible elements 21 and 30. of Fig. 8, until the tapered ends II of the keepers I0 on the airplane enter the socket 2| on the automobile frame, the flexible elements receiving motion from the drums 20, the shaft 23, the shaft 25 and the driving connection 24 of Fig. 4. The lever ll advances the locking bolts 05 and couples the keepers I0 on the airplane to the sockets ii on the automobile. A throttling of the engines 5 on the airplane is brought about by manipulating the plunger 80 of Fig. 6, the plunger acting through a train of parts ending .with the connections 81 and 80 of Fig. 9, to bring about the aforesaid throttling.

Generally stated, an operator is provided with an airplane of which an automobile constitutes the fuselage. The airplane can be raised for en- Easement with the automobile and lowered and I separated from the automobile, whereupon the automobile may be driven ch as a land vehicle.

Whatisclaimedis:

1. In a device for aerial navigation, an aircraft, a depending hanger carried by the aircraft and comprising a ground-engaging portion, the hanger constituting means for supporting the aircraft on the ground or the like, an automobile, the vertical distance between the -ground yengaging portion and the aircraft being greater than the height of the automobile, whereby the automobile may be advanced across the hanger without striking the aircraft, and mechanism operated by the propelling means of the automobile for raising the aircraft, with respect to the automobile, until the hanger engages beneath the automobile.

plane or make it necessary to re-learn the details of pilotage.

In the flexible elements I05 are interposed latches I00 and I09, the latches I00 corresponding to the latches 12 of Fig. 11, and the latches I09 corresponding to the latches 10, the latches I08 and I09 being toothed, for lateral engagement, as shown at I3 and II in Fig. 11.

An abutment plate H2 is fixed in the conduit part, at the upper endof the guide 61 and an abutment plate H4 is fixed in the conduit part 09 at the lower end ofthe guide 66. Compression springs I I5 are interposed between the abutment plate I I2 and the upper latches, such as the latch 80, and between the abutment plate Ill and the lower latches, such springs Iii constitute return springs for the several latches and when the springs are in neutral condition, the teeth on corresponding latches 2. In a device for aerial navigation, an aircraft, a depending hanger carried by the aircraft and comprising a ground-engaging portion, the hanger constituting means for supporting the aircraft on the ground or the like, an automobile, the vertical distance between the ground-engaging portion and the aircraft being greater than the height of the automobile, whereby the automobile may be advanced across the hanger without striking the aircraft, mechanism operated by the propelling means-of the automobile for raising the aircraft, with respect to the automobile, until the hanger engages beneath the automobile,

and manually operable interlocking parts on' the aircraft and on the automobile, respectively, to releasably fasten the aircraft to the automobile in flight position and permit detachment of the automobile and aircraft when it is desired to separate said automobile and aircraft.

3. In a device for aerial navigation, an aircraft, a depending hanger carried by the aircraft and comprising a ground-engagin portion, the hanger constituting means for supporting the aircraft on the ground or the like, an automobile, the vertical distance between the ground-engagin portion craft until the hanger engages beneath and the aircraft being greater than the height of the automobile, whereby the automobile may be advanced across the hanger without striking the aircraft, and mechanism for raising the airthe autoa driven mobile, said mechanism comprising oppositely shaft :lournaled on the automobile,

extending flexible elements wound in opposite.

directions about the shaft, direction-changing idlers on opposite sides of the shaft and over aircraft on the ground or the like, an automobile, the vertical distance between the groundengaging portion and the aircraft being greater than the height of the automobile, whereby the automobile may be advanced across the hanger without striking the aircraft, locking devices on the automobile and engaged with the aircraft to fasten the aircraft to the automobile, and mechanism for actuating the locking devices, said mechanism comprising spaced shafts Journaled on the automobile and having first and second crank arms, means for pivoting the first crank arms to the locking devices, a connection, means for pivoting the second arms to the connection,

mobile may be advanced across the hanger with out striking the aircraft, keepers on the hanger and shaped to be received in the sockets, means on the automobile for raising the aircraft until the keepers engage in the sockets, locking devices movably supported on the automobile and engageable with the keepers to fasten the aircraft to the automobile, and mechanism under and means under the control of an operator for actuating one of the shafts.

5. In a device for aerial navigation, an aircraft having substantially vertical sockets, a

depending hanger carried by the aircraft and comprising a ground-engaging portion, the hanger constituting means for supporting the aircraft on,the ground or the like, an automobile, the vertical distance between the ground-engagthe control of an operator for actuating the locking devices.

6. In a device for aerial navigation, an air- I craft, a depending hanger carried by the aircraft and comprising a ground-engaging portion, the hanger constituting means for supporting the aircraft on the ground or the like, an automobile,'

the vertical distance between the ground-engaging portion and the aircraft being greater than the height of the automobile, whereby the automobile may be advanced across the hanger without striking the aircraft, mechanism, for raising the aircraft until the hanger engages beneath the automobile, means for fastening the aircraft to the automobile after the aircraft has been .raised, a conduit comprising separable parts, one

of which is carried by the automobile, the other of which is carried by the aircraft, means for holding the conduit-parts together at their inner ends, in substantial alinement, a movable flight controlling part on the aircraft, an operating member on the automobile, a connection between the operating member and the flight controlling part and passing through the conduit, and a separable coupling device interposed in the connection and located closely adjacent to the means lug portion and the aircraft being greater than for holding the conduit parts together.

the height of the automobile. whereby the auto- FRANK F. FRAKES. 

